Beverage containers and accessories with integrated straw

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure generally relates to beverage containers having integrated straws, beverage container accessories having integrated straws, as well as methods of making and using the beverage containers and beverage container accessories with integrated straws. In particular, the disclosure relates to embodiments of such containers in the form of a pouch, a bottle, and a box, each having integrated straws and embodiments of accessories with integrated straws for use with conventional beverage cans and beverage bottles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to copending U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 60/704,850, entitled “Flexible Beverage Pouch withIntegrated Straw” filed on Aug. 2, 2005, which is entirely incorporatedherein by reference

FIELD OF THE INVENTION(S)

The present disclosure relates to beverage containers of the type usedfor convenient packaging and consumption of beverages, providingimproved dispensing and/or consumption of the beverage via an integratedstraw. The present disclosure also relates to accessories adapted foruse with standard beverage containers, where the accessory provides acap with an integrated straw adapted to fit the opening of a standardbeverage container, which provides for improved ease of consumption ofthe beverage.

BACKGROUND

Stand-up, disposable, flexible pouch constructions containing drinkingfluids, e.g. juices etc., have become popular consumer items, and avariety of such constructions are known. One type is a pouchconstruction sold under the trade designation Capri Sun® and containingfruit drink. The Capri Sun® products, and similar constructions,typically are in the form of pouches that include flexible front andback panels, sometimes with a flexible bottom or base gusset. In one ofthe panels, there is typically provided an aperture covered by frangiblemembrane. In use, one punches a sharpened straw through the aperture andinto the pouch. The liquid is then dispensed through the straw to thedrinker.

Pouch constructions that are used in this way are described for examplein U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,873,656; 5,997,177; and 5,425,583, the completedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

One of the most important problems in disposable beverage containers ofthe type mentioned above is opening the pouches. In pouch or bag-shapedbeverage containers having a membrane seal of or on a sidewall of thepouch, which is to be pierced by a pointed straw, there is a problemmaking the seal sufficiently easy for the consumer to pierce with astraw. The piercing of the membrane seal may be a particular problem forsmall children who frequently utilize such containers and who lack thedexterity of adults. It is often difficult for young children (e.g.,ages 4-9) to open such pouches without assistance since the membranemust be struck with the straw only in the hole in the barrier wall andat the same time with somewhat of a downward angle so that the strawdoes not also pierce through the back barrier wall of the pouch. Inaddition, due to the location of the straw aperture in the pouchsidewall, as opposed to at or near the top of the pouch, during or afterpiercing the membrane with the straw, squeezing of the pouch may resultin the beverage being pushed up around the outside of the straw and outof the straw hole causing undesired spillage. Also, the pouchconstruction is less convenient to handle because the straw projectsfrom a side as opposed to the top.

A problem with the use of a membrane-covered aperture to provide for aregion to punch is the provision of a membrane and seal that are bothadequately impervious to passage of air and/or moisture to provide for agood seal while still being relatively easy to puncture with a straw.Also, such a seal entails a manufacturing step of applying and sealingthe membrane.

Additional drawbacks to such pouches are associated with the straw.First, the straw is generally provided in a separate wrapping andattached to the exterior of the pouch with an adhesive. Often the strawsbecome detached from the container and “lost”, leaving the user withouta way to open or consume the beverage. The user is also faced with theneed to dispose of the straw wrapping before disposal of the entiredrink container and may be inclined to dispose if it in an impropermanner (e.g., “littering”). Also, the straw must be pointed and made ofa relatively strong or stiff material in order to facilitate piercingthe pouch sidewall. In some cases, schools have actually banned studentsfrom bringing beverage pouches to school due to the straw being used asa weapon.

Some of the shortcomings characterized above with respect to thepunch-through arrangements are addressed by an arrangement in which atab is torn from the top of the package, as depicted in design patentsU.S. Pat. No. D448,988 and D455,645. In this type of arrangement, aprotuberance or tab is provided on the pouch, which can be torn off toallow access to the contained liquids. When used with a contained drink,typically one either tears off the tab to open a hole between the panelsand drinks directly from the package or, after the tab is torn off,inserts a drinking straw through the open hole. There are also drawbacksto this configuration, however, including difficulty in opening, theneed to dispose of the torn tab-top, the problems (discussed above)associated with an external straw, and the propensity for spilling ofthe beverage since the opening is generally larger than with thepunch-through arrangements.

Other attempts to overcome the shortcomings associated with thepunch-through arrangements involve providing a “peel-seal” opening atthe top of the pouch/container where a straw is pushed through to breakthe peel-seal between the front and back panels/sidewalls of the pouch.A pouch of this construction is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,177,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, thispouch design still presents the problems associated with an externalstraw, and still generally features a pointed straw which could be usedas a weapon.

Thus, there remains a need for an improved beverage pouch, whichprovides easy dispensing/consumption of the beverage contained thereinand which overcomes at least some of the disadvantages described above.There is also a need for improved beverage containers and/or accessoriesfor beverage containers providing for easy consumption of the containedbeverage with reduced spillage.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to beverage containers and/or accessoriesfor beverage containers, in particular beverage containers andaccessories providing an integrated straw for convenient consumption ofthe beverage from the beverage container, particularly disposablebeverage containers. In embodiments of the present disclosure, thebeverage containers and/or beverage container accessories withintegrated straws help to reduce or substantially prevent spilling ofthe beverage.

Briefly described, embodiments of the beverage container(s) of thepresent disclosure include a container having one or more sidewalls, abottom end, and a top end defining an interior compartment forcontaining a beverage, and an integrated straw having an upper strawportion with a top opening and a lower straw portion with a bottomopening. The lower straw portion of the integrated straw is incommunication with the interior compartment of the container foraccessing a beverage contained therein via the bottom straw opening, andthe upper straw portion is releasably enclosed within a releasableportion of the container that is located adjacent to the top end of thecontainer.

In certain aspects, the present disclosure relates to a disposable,flexible beverage pouch of the type used for convenient packaging andconsumption of beverages, providing an integrated straw for improvedopening of the pouch and dispensing and/or consumption of the beverage.Such beverage pouches are generally flexible and made of a mono-materialor a multi-layer compound material. In other aspects, the presentdisclosure relates to a beverage bottle, box, or can including means forproviding an integrated straw or for integrating a straw with such acontainer.

In an exemplary embodiment, the beverage pouch of the present disclosureprovides a flexible pouch construction, generally including front andback opposed panel sections, which form front and back barrierwalls/sidewalls, and a bottom or base gusset. The opposed panel sectionsand base are secured together, such as by one or more base andperipheral seals around an outer perimeter edge and an upper sealsecuring the front and back panels together and defining a top end, toform a stand-up flexible pouch with sidewalls, a bottom end and top end,and an open interior compartment which can be used to contain liquid.

The beverage pouch further includes an integrated straw contained withinthe outer peripheral edge of the pouch construction where at least aportion of the lower portion of the integrated straw is in communicationwith the interior compartment to allow access to a beverage to becontained therein. An internal peripheral seal at least partiallyseparates the lower straw portion from the interior compartment.Additionally, in the beverage pouch of the present disclosure, an upperportion of the integrated straw is releasably enclosed in a releasableportion and may be easily released from the releasable portion via anopening system (e.g., a pull-tab, tear-tab or a peel-seal region)adjacent to the upper end of the container and the releasable portion.

In other embodiments of the present disclosure, other beveragecontainers with integrated straws are provided. In one exemplaryembodiment, a molded beverage bottle is provided having a bottleportion, an integrated straw with a flexible top to be contained under acap. The bottle portion includes sidewalls, a bottom end, a top end, anda neck portion forming part of the top end. In embodiments, a lowerportion of the integrated straw is an “in-mold” straw (e.g., the lowerstraw portion is integral with the interior of an outer wall of thebottle) that is at least partially defined by the sidewalls of thebottle portion. In embodiments, the bottle also includes two caps, andupper cap and a lower cap. The lower cap is designed to couple to theneck portion of the bottle and includes a flexible upper straw portiondesigned to mate with and/or engage the lower, in-mold straw portion.The upper cap is designed to releasably couple to the top of the firstlower cap and to releasably enclose the upper portion of the integratedstraw. In yet other embodiments, the first lower cap includes a sealring for engaging/aligning the upper straw portion with the lower,in-mold straw portion, and one or more air vents to provide airflowbetween the interior and exterior of the bottle. In exemplaryembodiments, the bottle is disposable.

In another exemplary embodiment, a disposable beverage box is providedhaving opposing front and back panels and opposing first and second sidepanels forming the sidewalls of the container. The beverage box alsoincludes a top flap defining a top end of the container and a bottomflap defining a bottom end of the container. The front, back, and sidepanels and top and bottom flaps form an interior compartment forcontaining a beverage. The beverage box also includes an integratedstraw having a lower straw portion housed within or formed from anintegral, interior straw chamber formed within the interior compartmentand along one or more sidewalls of the container (e.g., the back panelof the box). The box also includes and an upper straw portion adapted tobe releasably enclosed under a second, releasable top flap on the topend of the box. In embodiments, the releasable flap is optionallyremovable. The straw may also include a seal to align and/or engage theupper straw portion of the integral straw to the lower straw portionand/or internal straw chamber.

In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, beverage containeraccessories are provided for adapting conventional beverage containersfor consuming the beverage with a straw integrated with the beverageaccessory. Embodiments of such an accessory include a cap capable ofbeing removable fitted over an opening in a beverage container and anintegrated straw. The integrated straw passes through the opening in thebeverage container when the cap is fitted on the beverage container,such that a lower portion if the straw is in communication with abeverage contained in the beverage container and an upper portion of thestraw is external to the container to permit consumption of the beverageby a user. In embodiments the cap-straw accessory is reusable, and inother embodiments it is disposable and/or reusable.

In an exemplary embodiment of a beverage container accessory of thepresent disclosure, an accessory is provided for a beverage canincluding a cap capable of being removably fitted over a can top, and astraw coupled to the cap and adapted to fit through a standard can “poptop” opening to access a beverage contained therein. In anotherexemplary embodiment, an accessory is provided for a bottle including acap adapted to fit over a bottle opening, preferably including threadsfor removable securing the cap to a threaded neck of the bottle andincluding a straw coupled to the cap to permit consumption of a beveragecontained in the bottle. In one embodiment of the straw-cap beverageaccessory, the straw is provided with valve for substantiallypreventing/reducing spills while allowing consumption of the beverage.

Other embodiments, features, methods, aspects, and advantages of thedisclosed beverage containers and accessories will be or become apparentto one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawingsand detailed description. It is intended that all such additionalembodiments, features, and advantages be included within thisdescription, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and beprotected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosed beverage containers can be betterunderstood with reference to the attached drawings, FIGS. 1-13. Thecomponents in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasisinstead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of thepresent disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numeralsrefer to corresponding parts throughout the several views. While severalembodiments are described in connection with these drawings, there is nointent to limit the disclosure to the embodiment or embodimentsdisclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover allalterations, modifications and equivalents.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a beverage pouch with integral strawaccording to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, exploded plan view of the beverage pouch of FIG.1, where the pouch has been opened and the upper portion of the strawreleased for use.

FIG. 3 is an exploded plan view of an alternative beverage containerwith an integrated straw according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic, fragmentary plan view of the upper straw portionand cap assembly of the beverage container of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the lower cap and upper portion of anintegrated straw of the beverage container of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the lower cap of the beverage container ofFIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side plan view of a beverage can and a cap-straw beveragecontainer accessory according to yet another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the cap-straw beveragecontainer accessory of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side view of several cap-straw beverage containeraccessories of FIGS. 7 and 8 in a folded conformation.

FIGS. 10(A) and (B) are side and front schematic views, respectively, ofa beverage box with integrated straw according to the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 11 (A), (B), and (C) are back plan views of the beverage box ofFIGS. 10(A) and (B) showing the box (A) in a closed conformation, (B)with the additional top flap open to reveal the integrated straw, and(C) with the upper straw portion released and the additional top flapremoved.

FIG. 12 is a side plan view of the box of FIGS. 10 (A) and (B) and 11(A) and (B) with additional top flap lifted and the upper straw portionreleased.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of upper straw portion and straw seal of the boxof FIGS. 9-12.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

As described generally above, the present disclosure relates to beveragecontainers and/or accessories for beverage containers having anintegrated straw to provide for convenient consumption of the beveragefrom the beverage container. As used herein, the term “integrated straw”indicates that the straw is coupled, formed, composed, combined, and/orunited with another object (e.g., a container, a cap, or other object)that together make a whole. As used herein, “integrated straw” alsoindicates that the straw is a “part of” and not provided separately fromthe primary object to which it is “integral” (container, cap, accessory,etc.). Specifically, the term “integrated straw” does not include strawsfor use with certain beverage containers and/or accessories where thestraw is packaged with, but external to or separate from the containerand/or accessory (e.g., conventional beverage boxes and pouches wherethe straw is packaged with and sometimes externally, removably affixedto, the outside of the container.)

In embodiments of the beverage containers and/or accessories withintegrated straws of the present disclosure, the use of the containersand/or accessories reduces or even substantially prevents spillage ofthe beverage. As used herein, the term “reduced” spillage or spillingand/or indicates that use of the container and/or accessory of thepresent disclosure results in less frequent and/or lower volume spillsthan use without the container and/or accessory of the presentdisclosure. The term “substantially reduces” spillage or spillingindicates that use of the container and/or accessory of the presentdisclosure rarely results in spills of the beverage, as compared tostandard use and/or use without the container and/or accessory of thepresent disclosure. The term “substantially prevents” spillage orspilling, as used herein, indicates that use of the container and/oraccessory of the present disclosure, under standard conditions, almostnever results in spillage of the beverage.

Having described the containers and accessories of the presentdisclosure briefly above, the following discussion provides adescription of some exemplary embodiments. While embodiments of thebeverage containers and accessories with integrated straws of thepresent disclosure and methods of making and using the containers andaccessories are described in connection with the following text and thecorresponding figures, there is no intent to limit embodiments to theseexamples. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives,modifications, and equivalents included within the scope of thedisclosure. Now referring more specifically to the drawings in whichlike reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the severalviews, exemplary embodiments of the beverage containers of the presentdisclosure are illustrated in FIGS. 1-13.

In one exemplary embodiment, the beverage pouch 10 of the presentdisclosure, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, provides a flexible pouchconstruction, generally including first and second opposed panelsections, which form front and back barrier walls (e.g. sidewalls) 12and 14, and a bottom, or a base gusset 15. As appreciated by those inthe art, the barrier walls 12 and 14 are suitably formed as a sealingfoil, of either a mono-material or a multi-layer compound material whichare well known to those of skill in the art.

The barrier walls 12 and 14 and the base 15 are secured together (e.g.by a seal) around an outer peripheral edge to form a stand-up flexiblepouch. The pouch includes sidewalls (defined by the panels/barrier walls12 and 14), a bottom end (defined by base 15), and a top end (defined bythe area where the panels 12 and 14 are secured together along an upperportion, e.g., an upper seal 32), which define an open interiorcompartment 24, which can be used to contain a potable liquid. Thegeneral pouch construction, with barrier walls 12 and 14 and base gussetor bottom 15 are known in the art as described, for example, in U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,380,646, 5,425,583 and 6,485,177 which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

The outer peripheral edge of the pouch generally has two side edges 16and 18, a top end edge 20, and a bottom end edge 22. The base 15 andbarrier walls 12 and 14 are generally secured together along peripheraledges 16, 18, 20 and 22 via peripheral seals as depicted by the hatchedregions in FIGS. 1 and 2. The seals are preferably permanent seals,which are generally formed by adequate heat and pressure to permanentlysecure the various engaged pieces to one another. In embodiments of thepresent disclosure, an optional gap may be left in the permanent sealalong one of the edges to provide for an opening system (such as aperforation line or notch in a pull or tear tab system, or for anon-permanent seal in a peel-seal system), discussed in greater detailbelow. For example, in FIG. 1 a gap is left in the permanent seal alongside edge 16 for the opening system, perforated line 34.

An integrated straw 26 is provided within the outer peripheral edge ofpouch 10. In an exemplary embodiment, an upper portion 29 of integratedstraw 26 is provided in a releasable portion, pocket 42, along the upperedge of closed pouch 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, theintegrated straw 26, has a lower portion 28 which is in communicationwith interior compartment 24 at a lower region 31 in order to access aliquid contained in the compartment. The remainder of the integratedstraw 26 is separated from the interior compartment 24 by additionalseals provided between the integrated straw 26 and the interiorcompartment 24, such as permanent seal lines 30 and 32. In theembodiment shown, the integrated straw 26 has a flexible joint 27separating the lower portion 28 of the integrated straw, which isaligned generally parallel to side edge 18 of the pouch, from an upperstraw portion 29, which is aligned generally parallel to top end edge 20of the pouch 10. As used herein, “generally parallel” indicates that oneobject or line may be exactly parallel to or it may be near enough toparallel to another object or line that it appears to be parallel to,almost parallel to, or oriented in the same general direction as theother object or line. The integrated straw 26 is typically containedbetween side edges 18 and 20 and permanent seal lines 30 and 32.However, it will be appreciated by one of skill in the art that theorientation of the integrated straw could be reversed, and thuscontained between side edges 16 and 18, respectively, in a similarmanner.

An opening system is also provided for releasing the upper portion 29 ofthe integrated straw 26 from the releasable portion 42 for use by theconsumer. In embodiments, the opening system is located on or near aportion of an outer perimeter edge (e.g., the upper perimeter edge)adjacent to the upper portion 29 of the integrated straw 26. In theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the opening system is a tear-tab typesystem where the top of the container (e.g., the releasable portion,such as pocket 42) is pulled off at perforated line 34 between permanentseal 32 and the upper portion 29 of the integrated straw 26. In anexemplary embodiment, an additional permanent seal is also providedalong line 36, between perforation line 34 and the upper straw portion29 so that when the user tears along the perforation line 34, the upperportion 29 of the integrated straw 26 is separated from the main body ofthe pouch 10, but remains completely encased in pocket 42, as shown inFIG. 2. The integrated straw can then be exposed for use by twisting ortearing off, or otherwise removing, a removable portion 37 of a pocket42 containing the upper portion 29 of the integrated straw 26 along asecond perforation line 38. In an alternate embodiment, the integratedstraw 26 may be pushed through the end 40 of pocket 42 to avoid havingto dispose of removable portion 37.

In alternate embodiments, the opening system may include, but is notlimited to, other tear tab or pull tab systems and peel-seal openingsystems. Provision of “peel-seals” between flexible members, for examplethe panels of a flexible pouch, is known and described, for example inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,832,570; 5,604,000; 5,538,345; 5,470,156; 5,474,382;5,464,969; 5,425,825; 4,782,951; 5,330,269; 5,005,707; 4,966,470;4,925,318; and 4,823,961, the complete disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference. As used herein, the term “peel-seal”refers to a type of opening system where two or more panels or portionsof a container are releasable sealed together along a seal line, suchthat the initial seal is strong enough to provide a sufficientsemi-permanent seal from the environment, but the seal is releasableupon the application of sufficient forces, usually by a user's hands. Inembodiments, a “peel seal” may optionally be re-sealable. Provision ofpull tabs, tear lines and other common bag opening systems, for example,perforation lines, is also known and described, for example, in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,986,673; 6,318,894; 3,519,197; 3,473,589 and 4,572,377, thecomplete disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Itis foreseen that the peel-seals, tear tabs, pull tabs, and other openingsystems of the general type described in the above references and/orknown to those of skill in the art, can be utilized in association witharrangements according to the present disclosure.

In yet other possible embodiments of the beverage pouch according to thedisclosure, the pouch may be resealable. In such an embodiment, theopening system would be located between the integrated straw 26 and anouter edge (e.g.,edge 20) of the pouch 10, and a resealing system wouldbe located between the integrated straw and the opening system in orderto allow the integrated straw to be resealed in the pouch for laterconsumption of the beverage after initial opening. Resealing systems areknown in the art, for example zipper type systems employing atraditional rib and trough design, and are described in U.S. Pat. No.4,986,673 other U.S. Patents listed above.

In some embodiments, the beverage pouch is made of material including aplastic film material is used having an appropriate coating thereon toallow for activation by selected heat and pressure to selectivelygenerate a permanent seal or a peel-seal, as desired. It is foreseenthat if such material is utilized, it would be of a type for which if analternate pressure/heat combination is selected, a permanent seal can beprovided, as is desired in certain portions of the construction. Useablematerials, for example, include substrates of polyester, nylon, andpolypropylene (available from DuPont or Unitika), which can be laminatedtogether using conventional lamination techniques. In some instances, alayer of aluminum foil is added in the lamination to provide for anattractive appearance. The lamination may include peel-sealconstructions as described in the references cited above, including apolypropylene sealant comprising dissimilar materials. Further, a resinformulated to result in a peel-seal may be added.

Pouch constructions according to the present disclosure are readilymanufacturable using high speed manufacturing line techniques. With suchtechniques, typically gusset members will be brought in line, betweentwo elongate webs. Heat seal bars and cutters, can be used to form theparticular configuration of pouch construction chosen, including forexample those depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The heat seal bar canspecifically be prevented from encountering the pouch construction andcausing sealing in the regions that are to be left open for pouchfilling, for access by the integrated straw to the interior portioncontaining the beverage or for provision of the opening system asdescribed above. Typically, the region left over for pouch filling is ona top edge of the beverage pouch. In the beverage pouch of the presentdisclosure, the unsealed region may alternatively be located on an upperportion of the side edge of the pouch that is not adjacent to theintegrated straw, in order to allow for easy filling by the drinkpackager. After filling, the opening is permanently sealed by the drinkpackager.

In an alternate embodiment of the beverage pouch according the presentdisclosure (not shown), in order to facilitate filling of the pouch bythe drink packager from the top of the pouch, the integrated straw 26(including both lower portion 28 and upper portion 29) and thereleasable portion/opening system are provided along side edge 18 (or16) and/or adjacent to top edge 20, rather than along top end edge 20.In an example of such an embodiment, the upper portion 29 of theintegrated straw is bent, at flexible joint 27, back down toward lowerportion 28 and another permanent seal line is provided between the upperportion 29 and lower portion 28 of the integrated straw 26. An openingsystem, such as a perforation line, is provided along a portion of sideedge 18, or across a comer defined by the meeting of side edge 18 andtop-end edge 20, to release the upper portion 29 of the integratedstraw. Many additional embodiments of the beverage pouch with integratedstraw are possible, and are intended to be included within the scope ofthis disclosure.

The concept of an integrated straw may also be applied to other beveragecontainers. In alternate embodiments of the present disclosure, abeverage bottle is provided with an integrated straw. An exemplaryembodiment of such a bottle is shown in FIGS. 3-6. In the embodimentshown, a bottle 50 is provided. The bottle may be made of molded plasticmaterials, or other suitable materials that are known to those of skillin the art and as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,837,339 and 6,279,505,the complete disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The bottle 50 has a body portion 52, with outer wall 58 defining thesidewalls and bottom end of the bottle and a portion of a top end of thebottle, a neck portion 53 also forming a portion of the top end of thebottle, a cap assembly 54, and an integrated straw 60. The integratedstraw 60 has a lower, or bottle portion 62, which is preferably anin-mold integrated straw that is continuous with the bottle wall portion58, such as a channel integrated with the interior of the bottle wallportion 58 to form an integral lower straw portion. Preferably, thebottle wall portion 58 forms part of the outer wall of the integral,in-mold integrated straw 62. The remainder of the bottle portion 62 ofintegrated straw 60 is formed by channel 66, which may be made of thesame or a different material than bottle body portion 52.

The integrated straw also has an upper portion 64 that is preferablymade of a flexible material to allow it to be folded under an upper cap57 of the cap assembly 54. The upper straw portion 64 may be continuouswith lower portion 62, or it may be in the form of a separate piece,which may be aligned and engaged with/coupled to lower straw portion 62by a seal ring 67 contained in a lower cap 56 of cap assembly 54. Inthis form, lower cap 56 and upper straw portion 64 can be formed from amold as a unitary piece. Lower cap 56 also may include air vents 68 toallow airflow between the body of the bottle 52 and the exterior of thebottle in order to facilitate beverage consumption.

Upper cap 57 preferably includes threads (not shown) to engage threads59 on a neck portion of lower cap 56 and/or threads on a neck portion 53of the bottle 50 for releasably securing upper cap 57 to the lower cap56 and/or bottle neck portion 53. Lower cap 56 can be treaded to allowit to be secured onto the neck portion 53 of the bottle. As lower cap 56is threaded onto the neck 53 of the bottle, the bottom end of upperstraw portion 64 engages with (e.g.,couples to, nests within, connectsto, interlocks with, or otherwise engages) lower, in-mold, straw portion62. Upper straw portion 64 may engage lower straw portion 62 via the topof the channel 66 (as illustrated in FIG. 6). Other forms of connectioncan be used in place of threads, such as snap connections.

Many alternate embodiments of the disclosed beverage bottle withintegrated straw are possible. For instance, in one alternateembodiment, the lower straw portion 62 may be integral with lower cap56, but not integral with the bottle wall portion 58, so that ifdesired, the consumer may remove lower cap 56 and consume the beveragewithout the integrated straw. This and various other possibleembodiments and are intended to be included within the scope of thisdisclosure.

In an alternate embodiment of a beverage container according to thepresent disclosure, a beverage box is provided with an integrated straw.An exemplary embodiment of such a box is shown in FIGS. 10-13. In theembodiment shown, a box 90 is provided. The box 90 may be made of coatedpaperboard materials, or other suitable materials that are known tothose of skill in the art and as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,129,265,6,220,506, 5,482,202, 4,741,073, 4,120,073, 4,889,376; 5,437,594, and4,982,989, the complete disclosures of which are hereby incorporated byreference. Such containers are typically formed by folding and sealing acut and scored paperboard blank to form a box shape. The paperboard maybe coated or laminated to resist permeation by a beverage containedtherein, or a liquid-proof liner, coating, laminate or inner containeror bag can be provided in the container's interior for containing thebeverage.

As shown in FIGS. 10-13, the box 90 has interior portion 92 defined byfront panel 94, back panel 96, two side panels 98 and 100, top end 102and bottom end 104. Front and back panels 94 and 96, and side panels 98and 100 form the sidewalls of the box. Top end 102 and bottom end 104are defined by upper and lower folded flaps 106 and 108 respectively.The box 90 also includes an integral straw 110, having an upper strawportion 112, lower straw portion 114 and flexible joint 116. The box 90also includes an internal straw chamber 118, formed along an interiorsurface of the box 90, (e.g., along the inner surface of one or morepanels/sidewalls, such as along back panel 96, as shown in FIG. 10). Insome embodiments of the box 90, the straw chamber 118 may be integralwith the interior surface of the back panel 96. In two alternateembodiments, the internal, integral straw chamber 118 may house lowerstraw portion 114, or alternatively, may itself form lower straw portion114. Some embodiments further include a straw seal 120 to align/engageupper straw portion 112 to lower straw portion 114 and/or integral strawchamber 118. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, straw seal 120 islocated beneath box top end 102 and between upper straw portion 112 andlower straw portion 114. In an alternative embodiment, seal 120 may belocated outside/above box top end 102.

In embodiments, top end 102 of the box 90 also includes a depression orindention 122 adapted to receive upper straw portion 112 when theintegrated straw is in a folded conformation prior to use. Upper foldedflap 106 includes an additional, or second, top flap 124 which foldsover the top end 102 of the box to enclose upper straw portion 112 priorto use as shown in FIG. 11(A). Top flap 124 is releasable (e.g.,peels/lifts up and/or unfolds) as shown in FIG. 11(B) to reveal upperstraw portion 112, which may then be lifted up for use by a consumer. Inan embodiment of the box shown in FIG. 11(C), releasable top flap 124 isremovable (e.g. by a perforation line, score line, and the like).Removal of top flap 124 is not necessary, however, to release the upperstraw portion 29 for consumption, as shown by FIG. 12. Many alternateembodiments of the disclosed beverage box with integrated straw arepossible and are intended to be included within the scope of thisdisclosure.

The present disclosure also provides beverage container accessories thatprovide for convenient consumption of a beverage via a cap-straw systemto reduce spillage and/or the risk of spilling the beverage in thecontainer. Embodiments of the cap and straw accessory, or “cap-strawaccessory,” include a cap for removably fitting to the top of a beveragecontainer and over an opening in the beverage container for reducingbeverage spillage, and an integrated straw adapted to fit through theopening in the beverage container to access a beverage containedtherein. The integrated straw of the cap-straw accessory has a lowerportion in communication with a beverage contained in the beveragecontainer and an upper straw portion external to the container to permitconsumption of the beverage by a user.

The aforementioned lower bottle cap 56 with an integral lower strawportion 62 and upper straw portion 64 (illustrated in FIGS. 3-6) is anexample of such an accessory for a beverage bottle. The integrated strawcan include a valve to allow consumption of the beverage through theintegrated straw, while preventing spilling of the beverage. The cap caninclude threads for removably securing the cap to a threaded neck of aconventional beverage bottle. In embodiments, a beverage bottleaccessory including a cap and integrated straw may be providedseparately for use with conventional beverage bottles. In embodiments,such a cap-straw bottle accessory may include a cap similar to lower cap56 of FIGS. 3-6 and an integrated straw (such as integrated straw 60 inFIGS. 3-6, including both upper straw portion 64 and lower straw portion62, but where lower portion 62 is not integrated with the bottle walland where portions 64 and 62 are preferably one piece). Such a cap-strawbottle accessory can be implemented by a user by removing the originalbeverage bottle cap from a beverage bottle and replacing it with theabove-described cap-straw accessory for use in consuming the beveragecontained in the bottle. In embodiments, the cap-straw accessory forbeverage bottles may also include an upper cap, similar to upper cap 57shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The upper cap can be releasably coupled to thelower cap to releasable enclose the upper straw portion.

FIGS. 7-9 depict an embodiment of a cap-straw accessory adapted for abeverage can. The beverage can accessory includes a cap 72 adapted tofit over the top of a beverage can 70, such as a typical soda pop can.As shown in FIG. 8, the cap has sides 78 to extend over the upperportion of the can, and flange 80 to secure the cap to the can byfitting over a ridge 71, typically present on the top edge of the can 70that serves as the seal for the top of the can to the sidewalls of thecan. An integrated straw 74 is connected to cap 72 and aligned to fitthrough an opening in the beverage can (e.g., a conventional “pop top”opening in the top end of a beverage can), as shown in FIG. 7.

In some embodiments, the integrated straw may include a valve 76. Insome embodiments, the valve opens when pressure is applied to theexterior of the valve, for instance by the fingers of the consumer. Theconsumer can lightly squeeze the valve to open the valve to take adrink, and the valve will re-close upon release. In alternativeembodiments, the valve is capable of locking in the open position uponthe application of stronger force, so the user may squeeze the valvefirmly to lock the valve in the open position.

As shown in FIG. 9, the cap-straw accessory may be folded for convenientstorage and/or packaging. Various embodiments of the cap-straw accessoryare envisioned for use with a multitude of beverage containers, and areintended to be included in the scope of this disclosure.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent beverage containers and accessories, particularly, any“preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples ofimplementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of theprinciples of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may bemade to the above-described embodiment(s) without departingsubstantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All suchmodifications and variations are intended to be included herein withinthe scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

1. A beverage container comprising: a container having one or moresidewalls, a bottom end, and a top end defining an interior compartmentfor containing a beverage; and an integrated straw having an upper strawportion with a top opening and a lower straw portion with a bottomopening, wherein the lower straw portion is in communication with theinterior compartment of the container for accessing a beverage containedtherein via the bottom straw opening, and wherein the upper strawportion is releasably enclosed within a releasable portion of thecontainer located adjacent to the top end of the container.
 2. Thebeverage container of claim 1, wherein the container is disposable. 3.The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the container is a pouch. 4.The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the container is a bottle. 5.The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the container is a box. 6.The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the integrated straw includesa flexible joint located between the top straw portion and the bottomstraw portion.
 7. The beverage container of claim 3, wherein the pouchcomprises: a front panel and a back panel opposed to the front panel,wherein each of the front and back panels has a top edge, a bottom edge,and a first and a second side edge, wherein the panels form thesidewalls of the container; a base gusset forming the bottom end of thecontainer; a base seal securing the base gusset to the font and backpanels, at least two peripheral seals securing the front and back panelstogether along the first and second side edges, and an upper sealsecuring the front and back panels together and defining a top end ofthe container, the upper seal, the base seal, and the peripheral sealsdefining the interior compartment; an internal peripheral seal at leastpartially separating the lower straw portion from the interiorcompartment, and an opening system adjacent to the upper end andreleasable portion, releasably enclosing the upper straw portion withinthe releasable portion, wherein opening the opening system releases thereleasable portion and provides access to the upper straw portion. 8.The beverage pouch of claim 7, wherein the opening system is selectedfrom: a perforation line, a peel-seal, a pull tab, a tear tab, and acombination thereof.
 9. The beverage pouch of claim 7, wherein thereleasable portion is re-sealable.
 10. The beverage container of claim4, wherein the bottle comprises: a bottle portion having sidewalls, abottom end, a top end, and a neck portion forming part of the top end;an in-mold straw forming the lower straw portion and at least partiallydefined by the sidewalls of the bottle portion; a lower cap coupled tothe neck portion of the bottle and having a flexible straw forming theupper straw portion; and an upper cap releasably coupled to the lowercap forming the releasable portion, wherein the upper cap releasablyencloses the upper straw portion.
 11. The beverage bottle of claim 10,wherein the lower cap further comprises a seal ring for engaging theupper straw portion with the lower straw portion.
 12. The beveragebottle of claim 10, wherein the lower cap further comprises at least oneair vent.
 13. The beverage container of claim 5, wherein the boxcomprises: a front panel and a back panel opposing the front panel, anda first side panel and a second side panel opposing the first sidepanel, wherein the front and back panels and first and second sidepanels form the sidewalls of the container; a top flap defining a topend of the container and a bottom flap defining a bottom end of thecontainer; an internal straw chamber formed within the interiorcompartment and along one or more sidewalls of the container; and asecond, releasable top flap forming the releasable portion andreleasably enclosing the upper straw portion.
 14. The beverage box ofclaim 13, wherein the internal straw chamber houses the lower strawportion of the integrated straw.
 15. The beverage box of claim 13,wherein the internal straw chamber forms the lower straw portion of theintegrated straw.
 16. The beverage box of claim 15, further comprising astraw seal for engaging the upper straw portion with the internal strawchamber.
 17. The beverage box of claim 13, wherein the releasable topflap is removable.
 18. An accessory for use with a beverage containercomprising: a cap capable of being removably fitted over an opening in abeverage container; and an integrated straw having an upper portion anda lower portion, wherein, when the cap is fitted over the opening in thebeverage container, the integrated straw passes through the opening inthe beverage container such that the lower straw portion is incommunication with a beverage contained in the beverage container andthe upper straw portion is external to the container to permitconsumption of the beverage by a user.
 19. The accessory of claim 18,wherein the accessory substantially reduces spilling of the beverage.20. The accessory of claim 18, wherein the container is a can andwherein the accessory further comprises a flange on the cap forremovably securing the cap to the can.
 21. The accessory of claim 18,wherein the container is a bottle and wherein the cap further comprisesthreads for removably securing the cap to a threaded neck of the bottle.22. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the cap further comprises anupper cap releasably coupled to the lower cap and wherein the upper capreleasably encloses the upper straw portion.
 23. The accessory of claim18, wherein the straw further comprises a valve for substantiallypreventing spilling of the beverage.
 24. The accessory of claim 18,wherein the accessory is reusable.